Born from the Ashes
by LadyPharaoh
Summary: The people talked about the Belmonts only ever so often. Distrust spread between them, the Church began to work upon it. They decided to banish the Belmonts from Wallachia and to save themselves from damnation. For Trevor, it was the last night of joy before his world would be turned upside down. (This is based on the Netflix series' Intro, not the game!)


Hello again everyone~!

Ever since seeing the Netflix series of Castlevania, I couldn't help but wonder about some parts in that lovely intro... It's just a few seconds, but it seems to cover what had happened to Trevor.

And, well, that is what I focused this short story on!

On another note, I am hoping to finish editing the next chapter of "Legacy of Dracula's Curse", since I will be participating NaNoWriMo this November! So no updates on that for that month, I'm afraid...

Anyway!

Have fun reading and I'll see you around~! :)

* * *

"You've been out again, haven't you, Trevor?"  
His eyes were fixed on the pottage before him. With the spoon, he only stirred the diced pork and vegetables around. The steam caressed his face, but he wouldn't take a single spoonful. Neither would he raise his head to meet her gaze.  
Trevor could feel his mother's sharp eyes on him still. She wasn't one to give up and raised her voice again which was just as ruthless.  
"Out drinking with your buddies. When you should have been training." This time, it wasn't phrased as a question.  
Trevor flinched at that and he shuddered. His hands reached for the bread and tore a piece out to dunk it in the broth. "Maybe I did. Maybe I didn't."  
"Trevor. You are not a child anymore. I'll have to know that we can rely on you in the future."  
At that, he groaned a bit and rolled his eyes. As if that was the first time that he heard about the lecture.  
His mother, Sonia Belmont, could talk about this topic without trouble. She has had a long track record on demon hunting, quite a professional if you will. While he, well, he enjoyed taking it easy as times didn't seem as troublesome anymore.  
"Look...", he began before shoving the spoon in his mouth, "I don't intend on being a bad hunter. Far from it. But I want to have some time to myself and not fear that every shadow is out there to get me."  
"But that is what you should act like!" Her voice increased in tone and Trevor hunched down some more. "It is in our duty to protect the world from the unholy abomination of Hell! And you can't achieve that by hiding behind excuses!"  
In all honesty, it wasn't that Trevor wasn't convinced of such. Everyone in his family, including himself, noticed the powers within him from childhood. The inhuman strength, the endurance and he didn't even seem to experience as much pain as others. In fact, he knew of his qualities and that he could be better than his mother even. And yet...  
Trevor hesitated in his movements, but he did finally glance up at her. As expected, Sonia had no intentions to hide any of her irritation.  
"I want to do good. Great even! I want to honor you and our name. Can't slack off when you put so much time in training me." He couldn't help the cheeky smirk on his lips as he tilted his head.  
And that much reflected in his mother, too. Sonia returned the smile, a glint of pride in her eyes.  
"That's more like it, son. I'll have to make sure that you keep your word."

At least, the tension of that conversation was eased and Trevor could enjoy his meal without any guilt sitting in his stomach.  
Not so much, that was.  
Telling her about the events of the day was a whole lot more pleasant, too. As forceful as Sonia could be at times, she allowed him to tell his story and get engaged with it.  
"And you should have seen those guys!" Trevor would resemble a child when he would talk about it. It would be delightful if it wasn't for all the content of booze and vulgarity. "I haven't seen sailors in a long time, but that crew was such a fun lot! And they can certainly hold their liquor, especially that one guy! Quick like an arrow, I tell you!"  
"So you let yourself be beaten by some sailor?"  
"Nah, I still beat him at arm wrestling, he had no chance."  
"No one really does, it's not exactly fair."  
"I didn't say that I'd play fair."  
Which had both of them laughing, because honestly, life wasn't fair anyway. Might as well act upon it as well in good fun. Especially when their environment was usually hostile towards everyone.  
In a way, Sonia could understand why her son would indulge in these activities often. It was all dark and gray often and distractions were few. But she wouldn't want him to get in danger when it would arise.  
"Still", she began as she let her voice run colder again, "I'll drag you to the training grounds tomorrow. And we'll train. From morning until evening. Just to make up for everything that you have missed."  
Trevor threw his head back with a dramatic groan, resembling a child more than an adult right then. Not even his pout was softening her in any way, but that much he should have known by now. Didn't stop him from trying though.  
"There was a reason why I wasn't out training with you and it's because I could beat you in flash by now!"  
"Oh really? I'd like to see that."  
"I-I'll show you!"  
No, he wouldn't, but hey, he could act like he would.  
And Sonia could read right through it, the sharp glint gone and made way for softness. It had him grow weak and he leaned back. Not long after he rested against the chair, she would push him to take his dishes to clean up while she did the same.

Perhaps it was the feeling of peace that was deceiving.  
Something so luring that it dulled their senses. As if that is what fate had wanted them to believe, that trouble was out of sight and would only arise with a warning.  
While Trevor was in his own thoughts, a torch came crashing in through the window, landing on the table. The flames took hold of the wood in an instant, then three other torches were thrown in. They could hear a mob yelling from the outside right after.  
Their cutlery was forgotten and dropped on the floor as shock paralyzed them for a second.  
"W-What the-?!" Trevor was left baffled before Sonia took him by his arm and dragged him in the corridor. They could hear how other windows broke and already smell how the smoke was starting to build up in their house.  
Despite on not being too keen on meeting the crowd outside, mother and son weren't given much of a choice other than to get out through the main hall. They couldn't risk finding another exit to end up in a dead end, surrounded by flames.  
Yet, as they hurried towards the exit, the doors were bashed in and part of the mob flooded the corridor. At the front was a young priest, his eyes alight with pure vengeance. The priest held back the crowd as he pointed the blade in his hand towards the duo.  
"In the name of the Lord, you must be punished for your sins!" And the crowd cheered along, a couple of insults directed their way.  
Sonia was so confused that she had trouble finding words at first. "Sins? What have we done to receive the anger of God?"  
Trevor, on the other hand, was sure that these people couldn't be reasoned with at all. After all, setting someone's home on fire wasn't just a warning, it was the will of driving them out.  
"Or yours, for that matter", he spat back and let out a growl, one hand on his belt already.  
The priest only clicked with his tongue and shook his head. "As if we are unaware of your powers." His disgust was clear. It was as if he was about to spit on the floor before them, but was even too disgusted to do so. "Only the devil himself must have granted you this strength! You have sold your soul to the Lord of Hell and we make sure that you are sent back down there!"  
The building around them was beginning to ache under its' own weight. The fire was nibbling its' way through the wood, heat caressed their skin. Smoke was already filling the ceiling of the corridor, ash snowed on their heads.  
"I've heard enough!" A dagger flipped between Trevor's fingers. His other hand grabbed for the holy weapon of their family, the Vampire Killer.  
"You've taken the holy whip out along your pub trip?!", Sonia snarled at the sight of it. From a fold of her tunic, she pulled out a dagger herself to be armed. Where she hid those things, Trevor did not know nor did he care at the moment.  
"This really isn't the time to give me a lecture, Mom!"

The mob stormed further in without fear, making it hard for Trevor unbuckle the Vampire Killer. Instead, he was forced to fight with the dagger now. Most of this townsfolk wasn't trained in combat. The majority were peasants working on fields and with animals. Yet, the sheer number of foes was difficult to handle. They managed to keep them off for most of the time, but they couldn't get much closer to the exit and it was starting to become harder to breathe. In fact, they couldn't even see the doors anymore, the smoke growing thicker. His sight worsened by the second, his reflexes dulled while his throat was tingling from pain with every breath he took.  
A glint of a blade shimmered in front of his eyes out of nowhere, but the dagger was blocked by his mother's weapon as she went for a stab in the foe's stomach.  
"Don't get lost in thoughts, Trevor",. she scolded while she was out of breath herself, kicking away another peasant that tried to grab her arm.  
This struggle continued on for seemingly half an eternity.  
And Trevor didn't like to admit it, but they couldn't make their way through. Some of the mob was growing frightened, whether that was because of the Belmonts or the fire that spread. The priest, however, wasn't backing down in the least and kept driving his men forward.  
"Don't let yourselves be frightened by the devil's children!", he would yell, "we have the power of God on our side!"  
If Trevor wasn't trying to keep from breathing in the smoke, he would have spat back what a lousy priest this man was. How he was the one advocating the ways of Satan like a good little servant of Hell.

But it was fast. All too fast to register it all.  
Those men were freed from fright and fueled by rage that blinded them from any danger. Even extraordinary strength wasn't pushing them back from their mission. Trevor noticed cuts here and there, yet the pain of it all didn't reach him. Sonia could only do so much to defend herself, though she was the fiercest of them all. Much to the dismay of the priest, of course.

"Trevor!"  
Before he could even understand what was going on, Sonia deflected another weapon. It graced his face, a slash right down one side of his face, slicing flesh, but it did not stab it. Though as her arm was raised to block the attack, another minion ducked between the foes and hurled forward. A dagger pierced through in the next second and the metal drove right through her torso. The immediate shock had her stagger and another blade joined the fun, going for the stomach.  
In despair, Trevor dashed back to the front as his mother stumbled back. Color faded from her expression as her green tunic was darkening, blood stained the cloth.  
Yet this anger had blinded him further. While the hunter was able to strike down the first few foes, another rose his club and the weapon clashed against his head with full force.  
And suddenly, it all turned black.

Trevor couldn't say for how long his senses had left him.  
The first thing that he felt was the cold, hard ground beneath his knees. Rough hands were holding his body up, he hung like a sack filled with rocks. Then the smell of incense, strong and penetrating. The only warmth stemmed from himself, from the blood trickling down his face. Finally, the pain set in, how his muscles ached and the wounds sizzled.  
Yet, Trevor came to his senses when a rough hand smacked him right across the face. A strained groan parted his lips and his eyes dared to flatter open. The man that had smacked him was out of sight already and the hunter put together that he was in the town's church.

"Ah, so you are alive after all, Belmont."  
A booming voice echoed in the hall and the hunter lifted his head to see the bishop by the altar. His arms were crossed behind his back while he looked down on him from his elevated spot.  
Trevor could only stammer a few words, but was cut off by the bishop again. "The Lord wishes to be rid of your presence. Each step of yours curses our soil."  
"Then why am I here?!", he spat back and tried to free himself from the grip. The foes groaned as Trevor seemed to regain some of his strength. But someone else smacked a club against his back to keep him down.  
"Indeed, I also wonder why we keep him here." The young priest from before was by the side and crossed his arms. Also displeased by the idea of keeping him alive.  
Yet, the bishop didn't change his expression and lifted his hand before he glanced back down at Trevor with a mix of disgust and pity.  
"Understand that this was needed to be done, Belmont. But I am no monster, mind you, to have you slaughtered like a pig. Instead, I wish to make you an offer." He descended down to stop right in front of him and the hunter only responded with fury in his gaze, bit on his lower lip. "You are excommunicated from the church. Banished from Wallachia, never to set foot upon the Lord's domain again. Either you accept your banishment or you will face death by morning."  
You either are killed here or die somewhere else. Where we don't have to deal with you, how very kind, groaned Trevor to himself in his thoughts. But his comment couldn't land on his tongue as another realization came to mind:  
"What about my mother? What did you do to her?!"  
At that, the bishop frowned and turned to glance at the priest. "Indeed, where is Lady Belmont?"  
"Where we left her. The fire was spreading too quickly for us to take hold of her along with him, so the flames must have consumed her."  
"What?!" A sudden surge of anger had Trevor trembling and he pulled against his hold. As much as the heat of fury caused a turmoil in his chest, the imagery poured in his mind like needles, leaving him cold. "You've left her to die?! A bunch of monsters, that's what you are! Once I'm back on my legs, I'll make sure that you will meet your Maker sooner than-"  
Another hit from the club against the back of his head, his entire body slumped over and his head hung between his shoulders.  
"Belmont, don't make this more difficult than it already is. Your anger won't turn back time and won't help you with your grief."  
Trevor spat blood in front of the bishop's feet. "Go to Hell."  
What followed was a moment of silence and the bishop's expression only hardened. He turned on his feet and made his way back to the altar. Without dignifying Trevor with so much as a glance, he waved them off. "Get him out of here. If you see a trace of him at dawn, you may dispose of him in any way you please. Take that as a warning, Belmont."

Oh, how life could turn. Fate was cruel, that much Trevor had learned on that day.  
Perhaps there was no rhyme or reason for it all and they were all figurines of the Lord to move around. And, in His name, he had to place for him in this world.  
Before Trevor would leave the country that he had once proudly called his home, he had to make sure that the priest's words were true.  
Despite all rationality, the hunter hoped with all his mind for them to be wrong, that this night was a mere dream. A result of his drinking habit, perhaps a sick prank from other drunkards.

But the wounds were real, the blood on his tongue coppery and his head was light from dizziness. His sight was blurred every once in a while, but it was enough to make out the burnt remains of the house. If one didn't know what it had looked like before, no one could recognize the building anymore. The rubble tumbled up, the cool wind carried the warm ash and it darkened the air.  
Trevor dreaded it. As his eyes searched the area, he hoped to see a sign and at the same time, he feared it. A childish part of his mind expected his mother to free herself from the rubble. How she would punch her way out, as stubborn as she was.  
Yet, Sonia was nowhere to be seen. Everything remained in place, a painting of demise. The silence was deafening, too heavy for his shoulders and the hunter sunk to his knees. He lifted his hands, stared down on his palms as he waited for an answer, waited for tears to stream down his injured face. His stomach twisted from all this confusion and with every breath he took, his chest stung.

But there was nothing. There was only emptiness, no more strength left to even think right then.  
Trevor glanced back up, staring at the chaos before him. Nothing changed, he did not wake up and his body was about to give in fully. Every muscle trembled, waiting for a reaction.  
Fight or flight, yet there was no point in choosing. Life or death, there was no difference as it was all empty and silent.  
With every part of the rubble that Trevor took in, every bit of ash landing upon him and every breath of the burnt air, reality was dripping in. In-between this mess of needles inside his mind, poured in the weight of what had happened.

All this destruction, it rose up in him, too, had him shaking. He lifted his hands up to his head, the fingers clutching to the strands. Finally, something else besides the blood streamed down his cheeks. Cold against his skin were the tears, the salty taste mixed with the coppery one of blood.

Then a scream.  
A scream so loud that Trevor couldn't believe that his own voice conjured something so torn. Louder and louder, even when breathless, it all broke out at once like a storm shaking his frame. It echoed in the countryside and perhaps it reached into town, to the forests and lakes.

A sorrowful reminder that the last hope of Wallachia turned his back on them.

* * *

I do have a tendency to kill Sonia off for some reason... I really do like her character, but I can't see her having a nice end :U Well, wouldn't be the first female character in Castlevania to have a bad end...

Also, I would have liked to indicate that the priest in this would become the bishop in the series, but since he was never given a name, there's no point :I  
Ahem! Good night everyone!


End file.
